Nocturnus: The Legend
by Hobbit
Summary: Discover the Legacy of Lorelei Belle Winters, the Icetype Elite of the Indigo League. Discover her beginnings, discover her past...and discover what fate she will carve out for herself.
1. First Blood

The dragon sleeps in ice and snow

The destiny hidden far below.

Here we wait for her to come

The undiscovered depths to plumb.

We shall protect the whole world o'er

Before Lokrye raises again his dark tower.

Revenge we seek, and in due course

We shall have it in the land of Horse.

Through dark and cold, we watch the skies

Until we see again Allnian the Wise.

--A collection of the phrases (translated from Titan) found on the Allnian Shrines

Alto is the royal eyrie of Allnian. All who live there know of the majestic legendary, and all that she had done for them. In the Titan Wars, millennia back, she had led the charge against Lokrye, the Penumbral Titan. Then, even later, when Lokrye's supporters tried to defeat the victorious human allies of the Titan Council, Allnian protected Alto from wave after wave of Neragoshans. Allnian was hailed as a hero, and promptly disappeared from the world for centuries.

Alto, in celebration of Allnian's victory, dedicated themselves to Avian Pokémon, and bird lovers and bird Pokémon flocked to Alto. Soon, Alto was home to Pokémon that could be found nowhere else.

Neragosh never forgave Alto, and frequently launched invasions of the country. At first, the Altans expected Allnian to come flying back and save them, but after being looted and sacked by Neragoshans, the Altans formed their own military force, dominated by the Flying-type Pokémon. Alto and Neragosh still squabble at least twice a century, on average, but neither has a significant advantage. But it is difficult to realize how far the difference goes unless you understand their history.

Legends and stories tell of the Titan Wars, when the mighty Titans themselves fought amongst themselves, and the mere mortals of this world chose sides and fought alongside. Allnian's role in the war is disputed, as some accounts say she fought for Lokrye, the evil Titan who sought dominion over all. Others say she fought for the villainous Titan Council, who betrayed Lokrye and sought his death above all.

But one thing that cannot be denied is her rivalry with fellow legendary Geomantz of Neragosh. Geomantz, a name that was given to it only recently in history, was a ground-type Legendary Pokémon. Geomantz was one of the highest-ranking Legendaries in Lokrye's employ, and was a bitter enemy of Allnian. Geomantz and Allnian, as well as their forces, fought bitterly whenever they came across one another. Until Allnian finally succeeded in striking down Geomantz.

The people of Neragosh, never forgave Allnian, and swore that one day, they would destroy all traces of Allnian's memory. These humans formed the Order of Terra Firma, an organization that even today is talked about only in hushed whispers. When it was reported that Allnan had finally taken a roost, and in the warpath that they had already chosen, no less, the entire country was up in arms.

Millions of people were killed by Allnian. Hundreds of thousands made widows. Untold numbers of children were made orphans. But after the last armada was finally on the ocean floor, tucked in between the gentle currents of Tyfoner, the animosity of a generation bereft of their men was kindled, and Alto would forever have a mortal enemy.

Alto, meanwhile, built into the successful country that it was destined to become. The great Devon Company was founded on Altan soil, and quickly expanded into Hoenn, the Orange Islands, and many other countries, only to face stiff competition against Silph Corporation.

In honor of Allnian, Alto developed their Air Force—at first only Pokémon, but soon they developed the first working aeroplane, and soon humans were flying in the sky along with Pokémon. Alto has always been the leader in aeroplanes, and consistently fields the strongest air force in the world. But Allnian's influence didn't stop there.

The Allnian National Tournament began shortly after Allnian's victory, where the best competitors from around the world could come together to show their strength. At first, it was human against human, but eventually the Allnian national Tournament (or ANT for short) would become synonymous with the first Pokémon Tournament League.

As time passed, more and more people became active in Pokémon training, and eventually there became too many people to participate in the Tournament. So other Leagues began popping up around the world, and only the best trainers were allowed to enter the Pokémon League, and enter the Allnian Pokémon Tournament. This was when the first Gym Leaders appeared.

Yet still there were too many trainers to participate in the Allnian Pokémon Tournament, so the other Pokémon League Countries began to put on their own Pokémon Tournaments, and only the top competitors from those tournaments were allowed to participate in the Allnian Pokémon Tournament.

Then the decision was made that there would be two different Altan Tournaments—the Allnian National Tournament, for the Altan Nationals, and then the International Pokémon League Tournament was formed as a place for the top Pokémon League Competitors to test their strength.

The International Tournament is a goal for many, and the different Pokémon League countries have different rules and regulations, some allowing children as young as ten to begin Pokémon Training Journeys, but most countries have a minimum requirement of thirteen years of age.

Lorelei glared up at the spherical object held high out of her reach. "Let me have it!" she screamed. "I want it, I want it, I want it!" Lorelei jumped as high as she could, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't reach the Pokéball. Lorelei leaped up once more time, but couldn't reach. On her way down, she lost her footing and fell to the ground. Lorelei's wail burst out of her, sounding her displeasure to anyone within hearing distance.

"Brandon!" a voice called out sharply. "Stop teasing your sister!"

Brandon grinned down at his little sister, his new Pokéball held just out of her reach. Brandon shoved his hair back over his head and tossed the Pokéball into the air. He reached down and ruffled his little sister's hair. "It's empty!" he shouted over his shoulder. "It's not my fault Lorelei isn't old enough to have a Pokémon!" he grinned down at his little sister.

Lorelei stuck her tongue out at her brother, and snatched the Pokéball out of his hand. "Hey!" he shouted. "That's mine! Give it back!" he grabbed at the Pokéball, but Lorelei kept it just out of reach.

"Too slow!" Lorelei snapped at her brother. "It's mine, now. Finder's Keepers!"

Brandon glared at her. "You didn't find it, you stole it from me!"

Lorelei glared back. "I found it, and it's mine!"

Brandon rolled his eyes. "Fine, it's yours. Have fun with it. You're not going to be getting a Pokémon for years."

Lorelei glared at her brother. She knew it was true. But what if she caught her own Pokémon? Then she'd have her own Pokémon. She could do it. She'd show her brother.

Lorelei giggled to herself as she ran out the front door of the house. Her brother hadn't been paying attention enough, and she had swiped his Pokéball. It was coming up on night, and everyone was getting a little bit tired and careless. Plus Brandon was giving all of his attention to his girlfriend.

She would use Scyther and Flamethrower to take down whatever stood in her path. Or maybe Surf. Or Razor Leaf. Those were all pretty good attacks. Suddenly, Lorelei spotted movement. Lorelei grinned. Finally. A chance to get a Pokémon. She'd been waiting all the years of her life. And now she'd be able to get a Pokémon. She'd show Brandon. She'd show everyone.

"Pokéball go!" Lorelei shouted, throwing Scyther's Pokéball forward. The brief flash of red light illuminated a shadowy figure lurking in the shadows. The dark fur seemed to Lorelei to be indistinguishable from the darkness behind it. The Pokémon's teeth flashed in a snarl as it moved closer. Lorelei stepped back involuntarily, her eyes wide even as the flash of light from the Pokéball Release disappeared.

She remembered the Pokémon, from what she had seen of it. It was a Sneasel, an Ice-type Pokémon, one of the most despised types in all of Alto. Because Alto was a primarily Flying-type Pokémon country, Ice-types were not all that welcome. While the degree of acceptance of Ice-type Trainers varied from grudging respect to outright rejection. She didn't know a whole lot about it, but she had been raised from birth to not like Ice types. So Lorelei did the only thing she could do. She turned and she ran for the safety of the light. She had somehow forgotten to grab a flashlight on her way out, and now she was running as fast as her short little legs could carry her.

Lorelei heard sharp cracking sounds, and knew the Sneasel was following her. The cracking sounds had gone above her, and Lorelei instantly knew that the sounds she was hearing was of the Sneasel climing the trees around the estate.

Suddenly, Lorelei burst into the light, and Lorelei fell to her knees, gasping for breath. She hadn't expected to make it this far. She was safe. It was a dark type. It wouldn't come into the light.

Suddenly, the Sneasel appeared in front of her, and for the first time, she could see it clearly. The creature was a dark blue and gray, with white, two-fingered paws. Its short, triangular ears were of two different colors. Its right ear was shorter, while its left was considerably longer, and a deep crimson, the same color as the Sneasel's three tails. The golden gem-like growths that appeared on its head and its chest seemed to gleam brilliant in the light.

The Sneasel was down on all fours, its head down, its tails thrashing furiously, its lip curled back in a snarl. Lorelei tried to take a step backwards, but tripped and fell down. The Sneasel stood up on its hind feet, and extended its forelegs towards her. Lorelei swallowed, then screamed as two sharp claws extended from each of the Ice-type's fingers.

The Sneasel lunged forward, its small mouth opened as far as it would go, its fore and rear paws both had their claws extended, all four paws extended towards her in a bestial pounce.

Suddenly, the Sneasel was knocked aside by a green blur. The Sneasel rolled, and came to its feet in a fighting stance, its eyes watching the green blur dissolve into Brandon's Scyther.

Lorelei drank in the Scyther, glaring against the Sneasel, one foot set forward, the other foot held back, waiting for the Sneasel's next move. One of the Bug-type's scythes was held up in front of its face in a salute, the other held out perpendicular to its body, ready to swing it into action. The mantis Pokémon's wings were rattling as they buffeted the air.

For a moment, nothing happened, and Lorelei just sat in awe. She had seen Pokémon battles on the television before, but she had never seen a battle from this close before, and she had never ever seen one where her very life was riding on the outcome. Mesmerized, it didn't even occur to her to do anything but sit and watch.

The Scyther made the first move, transforming once more into the green blur as it moved faster than the human eye could keep up with, moving towards the Sneasel. But the Ice-type was faster still than the Scyther, and the next time Lorelei caught sight of the pair, Sneasel's rear paws were holding onto Scyther's arms before they turns into blades, its left claws were embedded into the Scyher's chest.

For a split second, nothing happened, and Sneasel was suspended upside down. But then there was a quick flash of light, and the two shot apart as if catapulted. Sneasel landed on its feet, and immediately leapt for Lorelei, its claws once more extended. But Scyther once again intercepted by Brandon's Pokémon. Unfortunately, Scyther wasn't quite as fast as before, and the Sneasel was able to bring its forepaws around and slashed through the Bug-type's arm, before bringing its body around and catapulting itself back on its original course.

It was only then that Lorelei realized the very real danger she was in, and she tried to get out of the way, but one of the Sneasel's claws raked her left cheek. She rolled over and over to her left, and looked up to see the Sneasel preparing to lunge once more.

Yet again, the Scyther came in, trying to protect Lorelei, but this time Sneasel was fully prepared for it. As the Flying-type charged the Ice-type, the Sneasel was leaping backwards. And with its weight on its forepaws, twin beams of ice shot out of its rear paws, and slammed into the Scyther point-blank.

The momentum carried the Scyther forward, and when its rear paws connected with the ground, it leaped once more, this time into the air once more towards Lorelei. But this time, there was nothing standing in its way. The Sneasel's teeth clamped onto Lorelei's right shoulder, and its claws ripped the little girl's dress and skin to shreds. Once more, Lorelei's scream rang through the night. Lorelei tried to shove the Sneasel off of her, but the Sneasel merely tossed aside her arms, and continued to maul her.

Then, suddenly, the Sneasel was lifted up and off of her by a strong force. But it did not go willingly. Lorelei continued to scream as a large chunk of her flesh was carried off along with the Sneasel, and stared up at her brother's Scyther. This time the Scyther placed itself directly over Lorelei, and Lorelei sobbed as she looked up to see the Sneasel coming for her.

The Bug-type lunged towards the wild Pokémon. Through the grunts and snarls of the Pokémon, Lorelei's wail rose. She watched as the Sneasel frantically tried to get past the Scyther, but the Scyther would not give up an inch. But after several seconds of frantic battling, it was clear that the Sneasel had more energy left. Scyther fell back on top of Lorelei, exhausted and unconscious, covered in scrapes, blood, and bruises.

The Sneasel advanced slowly, its features torn and ripped, its mouth and claws covered in blood. This time it knew there was nothing between it and its prey. It loomed over Lorelei, and she screamed again, holding her hands up to defend herself. The Sneasel lunged.

Suddenly, through Lorelei's closed eyes, she saw a red flash, and suddenly she could no longer hear, feel, or smell the Sneasel. Then she felt something land on her chest and begin to thrash around furiously. Lorelei cautiously opened one eye just in time to see the Pokéball stop shaking. A soft ping was heard, and Lorelei felt a tingle of excitement run through her. She had captured her first Pokémon!

Lorelei grinned and tried to push Scyther off of her, but he was too heavy. It was then that she heard the worried voices calling out her name anxiously. "Over here!" she yelled. There was a slight pause, then muffled yells from all around her rang out and she could hear people crashing through the underbrush.

Her father was the first to break through the treeline and into the light. He stopped short, his face turned pale, and he hurried to Lorelei's side. "Dear God," he whispered as he shoved Scyther off of her and wrapped her in his arms. Lorelei grinned into her father's shoulder. She had done it. She opened her mouth to tell her dad about her capture when the elation wore off and suddenly the pain hit her.

Lorelei's small body convulsed, and Lorelei's mouth opened to scream, but no sound came out. "Hello?" she dimly heard her father say into his phone. "This is Archibald Winters, I need an ambulance. Now."

Lorelei smiled up at her brother. He was standing next to her hospital bed, shaking his head. "You were lucky, Lorelei," he said softly. "You have no idea how lucky." He closed his eyes and pushed himself off from the hospital bed. He closed his eyes and turned away from her. "You have no idea how scared I was when I saw you like that," he said quietly.

Lorelei grinned lopsidedly. She had never had painkillers before, and she was really enjoying them. "Hey, I'm fine. I'm fiine. I've never been better." Lorelei's eyes were half-closed, and she wasn't paying attention to her casts and bandages. "How's my Sneasel?" she asked, grinning.

Brandon shook his head. "I don't know if it's the drugs or what, but that shouldn't be the question that you should be asking," He sighed.

Lorelei sighed back at him. "I've been in this bed for three whole days. THREE," she groused. "What am I supposed to do with all this time? Don't say school. I'm NOT going to do school."

Brandon shook his head. "you're never going to change, Lorelei," he murmured. He turned around and looked at Lorelei. "well, I'm not ure how, but we've decided to keep the Sneasel. When you're old enough, he'll go on your license. Until then, you'll have to settle for the Junior division training."

Lorelei's eyes closed as Brandon continued talking about rules and things she wouldn't be able to do. Why should she pay attention to him now if he wasn't going to follow them later? Suddenly she had something more to think about. How she would train her brand new Sneasel.

She'd train him all right.

And when she was all grown, she would be stronger than everybody. Nobody would be able to beat her when she battled them.

Nobody.


	2. Flight of the Valkryie

Lorelei Belle Winters grinned as she hefted her backpack. Today was the day that she would begin. She had dreamed about this day for a long time, but now her life would really begin to take off. She glanced down at her side, and Weavile glared up at her wryly. Cryo had come a long way from the Pokémon that had nearly killed her twelve years before.

She had grown up quite a bit since then. She had tasted the bittersweet nectar of leaving home to make her own life as a Pokémon trainer. She had dated a half hundred guys, and had broken all of their hearts. She had become the majority investor in half a dozen small companies, and had proven that she had inherited her father's business wiles.

But now, she was going to put her abilities to the truest test ever. Lorelei grinned, and ran forward, up the boarding ramp of the AMS Articuno, one of the finest military vessels that had ever plied Alto's seas. She had known that it had been coming for a long time, but this time it was going to be different.

Neragosh had declared war on Alto. Engara had instantly declared war on Alto as well, coming to the aid of its ally, but Tintia had, of course, declared war on them both, fulfilling the treaty that had been in place for centuries. Tintia and Engara would battle amongst themselves, each throwing their full force against each other, while Neragosh and Alto would both be alone.

But there was a rumor that this time would be different. There was a rumor that the Neragoshans had found an evil that had long been thought long lost. There was a rumor that Geomantz had been reawakened.

The evil Legendary had not been seen for centuries, and everyone had assumed it dead. But if the rumors were true and Geomantz was once again leading the battle against Alto, then things would be different. If it was true, then all of Alto would empty and would throw themselves against Neragosh to defeat the Legendary Ground-type Pokémon.

Lorelei leaned against the rail of the ship and waited for it to launch. While she waited, she glanced over her shoulder at the rest of her team. Weavile had been with her for quite some time, as had Gengar, Golem, and Entrophen. She had met both Gengar and Golem around her estate, and had caught them as soon as she was able to, when her parents weren't at home and nobody else was watching.

She stroked Entrophen behind the ears and smiled sadly. She had caught him almost five years before. He was nearing the end of his short life. One way or the other, this would be his final campaign. The lupine Pokémon nudged her knee gently, and Lorelei caught herself before her eyes teared up. She would not allow herself to cry. Ever again. It wasn't proper for a lady of her wealth. She knelt down next to the Pokémon and stroked its silver fur lovingly. They had been together since he had been born. She had captured this Entrophen's mother early on in her journeys, and now he was all that Lorelei had of her first Entrophen. There was no one that she cared for more.

Lorelei adjusted the pistols in their holsters as she stood to her feet, and reached over her shoulder to make sure that her rifle was still there. Lorelei grinned as she looked out at the open sea. Somewhere out there was an enemy she had heard about since birth. And, maybe, a Legendary Pokémon.

Lorelei grinned. A week, and then she and her team would be in the thick of things.

War.

Nothing she had ever seen had prepared her for it. She had heard stories, and had scored among the highest in her Academy Tests. But nothing could have possibly prepared her for the raw emotion that was war. Half of her squad, people she had known since the Academy, were cut down when they stormed the shore.

But she and her team of Pokémon had survived. They hadn't just survived, they had taken point in every one of the charges. Even started a charge or two. Lorelei grinned as she changed magazines on her rifle. She had heard stories of wars before, but nothing had prepared her for the real thing. As she primed her weapon for firing, she wondered idly what a war without Pokémon would be like.

Here, she was the commander of her own little platoon. She had six Pokémon under her command, and was part of a six-man squad, led by her late Sergeant. She had assumed command of what was left of the team, and had thrown them into the thick of things. But they had gotten split up, and maybe they were dead. That didn't matter now.

Lorelei glanced around. They were in the city of Gneiss, fighting a desperate battle for a foothold. The Neragoshans weren't giving up an inch, and she and the other Altans were losing people and Pokémon fast. But she and her team weren't done yet.

Lorelei peeked around the corner of the alley, and grinned. They had a full squad out there, waiting for her. Plus it looked like they had a machine gun nest set up inside of a Psionic Shield. These guys were thinking that they were entrenched. Boy were they in for a surprise.

Lorelei pulled back around the corner and thought for a moment. Warfare had, for the better part of the last millennium, depended heavily on Psionics for communication, enhancement, and protection. Any force without a Psionics team would be defeated in very short order. But most Psionic teams didn't deploy Shields, but rather connected the minds of every soldier in a given number of people, and protected them from outside Psionic Interference. Psionic Intereference was, after all, one of the most dangerous weapons in any army's arsenal. If a Psychic could gain control of another person, then they could make that person turn on his own comrades. Various lines of technology and Psionics were developed to help combat such efforts, but it was still a dangerous and ever-present threat.

But what was even more of a threat to Lorelei at the moment was the Psionic Shield that had been erected, not twenty yards away from her area of cover. A Standard Psionic shield was a double Barrier, with a double Light Screen. The standard means of overcoming the Barrier was with a Rocket Propelled Grenade. Lorelei grimaced. She didn't have an RPG.

She glanced over at her team of Pokémon. She may not have the sheer strength to break it down, but she was sure that she would be able to dislodge the Shield. Lorelei leaned around the corner, inching the barrel of her scavenged rifle around and fired off several bursts. A hail of gunfire and Beams roared back, and Lorelei barely had time to get out of the way.

But her gambit had paid off. She had been able to spot the edges of the Psionic Shield. And that, taking into consideration the shape and angle of curvation of the Shield, had told her about where the Psychic probably was.

She glanced back down the alley at her team, and grinned. It was a good thing that she had developed this team before the war started. It was about as close to a Psionics-busting team as she would probably get. Two Ghost-types, two Dark-types, a Rock-type, and a Poison-type. Lorelei grinned. This would be easy as pie.

She shifted in her crouch to be able to look over her shoulder. "Gengar, Dusknoir, you two sneak around back. The rest of us will be making a distraction up here. While their attention is focused on us, I want you to take out the Psychic. No heroics, and get back to us as soon as you can." The two Ghost-type Pokémon nodded their affirmation, and dashed through the wall of the building that Lorelei was leaning against.

Lorelei glanced out into the street. It was littered with debris, and there were a few chunks big enough to be cover for her, but they were pretty far from her current position. Her eyes narrowed. "Entrophen," she said quietly, glanced over her shoulder at the triple-tailed canine. "Take up position here, and watch our backs. Don't let anyone flank us from over here."

Lorelei turned to Golem. "You're going to be my cover. We'll take up position on the far side of the street. Houndoom, you're taking up position behind that piece of rubble in the street," she pointed, and scratched her Dark-type behind the ears. "Keep a constant Ember going on that Shield. You'll be able to target the Shield easily enough, just don't get cocky and try to hit someone. It won't work. And don't get overexcited and pump up the juice. I need you to stay as fresh as you can, but direct the Psy's attention forward, to us. Not to the Ghosts that are flanking 'em."

Lorelei turned to Weavile and grinned. "Well, partner, I'm not going to give you any orders. You just do your usual dirty work, and we'll call this one fair." Lorelei grinned as she pulled a grenade from the bandolier sashed across her chest. "Ready?" Lorelei asked. Without waiting, she tossed the grenade out into the street and turned away, shielding her eyes.

The grenade exploded brilliantly, with a massive explosion. Without waiting, her team carried out their orders, moving to their assigned spots. Lorelei ran, half-crouched, with Golem across the street, while Weavile rapidly climbed the building that had afforded the team their cover.

For several seconds, nothing happened, the people and Pokémon behind the Shield were still recovering from the effects of Lorelei's flashbang. Then they began opening fire, and bullets and Beams began roaring out. It would take the Psychics a few seconds to triangulate their positions, Lorelei knew.

"Open up!" Lorelei roared, and swung her rifle up into a firing position, and fired at the Psionic Shield. Her bullets ricocheted harmlessly, as did Houndoom's Ember and Weavile's Ice Beams, but Lorelei's assault had served its purpose. Lorelei ducked back behind her cover as a hail of returning fire sailed over her head. She looked up at Weavile and grinned. "Cryo, give us cover!" she shouted.

Lorelei pulled a Mark XVI Fragmentation from her bandolier and tossed it over her shoulder. "Frag out!" she shouted, and ducked further down behind her cover. The explosion ripped through the street, and fire intensified on her position. Then, suddenly, all there was around her was white.

Lorelei grinned. Her Weavile had come through once again. She took a deep breath, and ran in a half-crouch to Houndoom's position, ignoring the Beams that roared through the Blizzard blindly.

She knelt next to her canine Pokémon, and tapped it on the shoulder. "Leash is off!" she shouted into its ear. "Ghosts should be about in position right about now. Give 'em something to look at from the front. Cryo and I will back you up."

The Houndoom roared its approval to her plan and the flame that had constantly been belching from his mouth ceased. With a single movement of the Dark-type Pokémon's muscles, the Houndoom leaped up and over its cover, heading for the enemy. Lorelei reached behind her back as she raced for Golem's alley, and the shelter from the freezing Blizzard.

Once Lorelei ducked inside Golem's alley, she pulled her flare gun to point straight up, and fired off a single shot. The blood-red flare rose up several hundred feet like Moltres, its brilliance leaving behind a tail of red flame that dissipated slowly. Instantly, Cryo's bitter winds cut out, and she could hear the shouts, screaming, and roaring of the attack already beginning.

Lorelei peeked around the corner and saw Houndoom tearing through the team of Pokémon that had been bunched around the front of the shield. They were obviously counting on the shield to protect them, and hadn't counted on her having a Dark type. Suddenly, there was an explosion further back, and Lorelei saw one of the humans, a surprised expression on his face, topple forward, the Alakazam that pushed him over still moving with momentum.

And then there was only sheer chaos. Lorelei left her cover and charged in, rifle pressed against her shoulder, firing in short bursts. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ice Beams slam into one enemy after the other. Weavile was doing his share of the work, as usual.

A flash of red light to Lorelei's left caught her attention, and she spun to see a Neragoshan yelling into his radio, and a Pidgeot making a break for the sky, only to be shot down by Weavile. A quick burst from Lorelei's rifle, and the soldier was down. She spun back to check on the rest of her team, and saw that the few Neragoshans that weren't dead or unconscious were surrounded by her team.

Lorelei grinned. "Get 'em out of the street!" she snapped, motioning for Golem and Entrophen to rejoin them. She tapped the earpiece in her left ear, activating the commlink to the Command Bunker. "Command, this is Winters. I've got up to Klareng Street, and I have four prisoners her, awaiting transport."

Lorelei knelt down next to one of the humans, and rummaged around until she found his Pokéballs. "I've only got me and my six Pokémon left. Awaiting orders."

"Hold please," Command responded.Lorelei pulled the Pokéballs out and recalled the Pokémon that the human had controlled. Satisfied with that, she miniaturized the Pokéballs and put them into a pack tha she kept with her just for that purpose, and went through the man's pockets looking for ammunition.

"Have you no respect for the dead?" One of the Neragoshans demanded. Lorelei glanced up. It was a young man. It was probably his first tour of duty. Lorelei hadn't been in a whole lot of fights, but she was nowhere near as green as he was. Houndoom and the ghosts were herding them over towards what had been Golem's alley.

"As a matter of fact," Lorelei said quietly, "I don't. Now shut up, or we may run into a Neragoshan ambush and you may find yourselves caught in the crossfire." Cryo landed next to her, and Lorelei looked up at the Weavile, "Check to make sure they don't have any hidden weapons, then come give me a hand looting." Lorelei held up a pistol and ejected the cartridge for emphasis. Her Ice-type nodded.

Lorelei knew that the Neragoshans, having lost contact with their Psychic, and especially after that radio chatter with the Neragoshan she had just killed, would be coming soon. And then she'd need all the firepower she could get. To last as long as possible.

Lorelei moved on to the next body. Some people would probably find this gruesome, but to her, it was as natural as taking a breath.

"New Orders coming through, Winters," the voice of Command came through. "We're pulling out."

Lorelei stopped and put a hand to her ear. "Say again, Command?" she asked.

"We're pulling out. You are to meet up with the evacuation party at Point Bravo." Lorelei shook her head, literally quivering with rage. She had been with good people. And seen them die. They were calling off the invasion force because of that? That was ludicrous. She had seen the defenders. If they kept pushing, they could easily defeat Neragosh once and for all.

But the commanders surely had a good reason for what they were doing. "Roger that," she said. "We're on our way with prisoners." She looked over at the rest of the team, and gestured that they were moving out. "We've got orders, people. We're to rendezvous with the rest of the attack force."

Lorelei shook her head. They would be giving up a lot of ground, ground that they'd have to retake inch by blood-stained inch. It was a bad call, but she would make the most of it.

Lorelei stared up at her Commanding Officer. Colonel James T. Surge was an imposing man, and his years of service in the Air Force were among the most decorated of any of Alto's heroes. "You handled yourself well, Private Winters," the man said gruffly. "your fighting style reminds me a bit of my son's, but he left the Army after only one tour of duty." Surge sat up in his chair and regarded a picture lovingly.

Lorelei took the moment to glance around. Surge's office was a small room in the Altan Aircraft carrier _Avion_. It wasn't that big, but then, nothing on the ship was. The only furniture in the room was a table with an ink blotter, a computer, and a few pictures, and two chairs.

"This is the end of your tour of duty," he said quietly. "We'll be pulling into Fogh in a few hours. I was wondering if I could convince you to stick around." Surge looked up at Lorelei earnestly. "If you would see your way to sticking around, I would see to it that you were promoted to lieutenant, on a fast track to a command. You're a natural commander, and handled yourself extremely well in Gneiss. I really don't want to lose you."

Lorelei shook her head. "You must know by now what my answer is." Surge leaned back in his chair and shook his head. "I'm out of this joint. The only reason that I joined up with the Air Force was to fight Neragosh. And I've done that now. And we could have finished this if we hadn't signed that stupid peace treaty."

Surge sighed, and got to his feet. "I know how you feel," he said quietly, looking out his porthole. "But you know as well as I do that if we had pressed our advantage, Engara would have stepped in and destroyed us all. And Tintia would do the same if Neragosh would ever defeat us."

Lorelei glared down at her lap. She had heard the rhetoric, but all she heard was that the people at home had lost the will to fight. They had clamored for peace and had abandoned her and the rest of the military, insisting that they pull out instead of actually finishing the job.

"I didn't think that I'd be able to talk you out of leaving," Surge said quietly. "So I put in a call to an old friend of mine. He's got a job open for you at the Academy." He glanced over his shoulder. "I know how you feel, Lorelei, t that Neragosh should be defeated at any cost. Of course I can't and won't condone that, and I know that you wouldn't ever go visit anyone like that. After all, Agatha Fraley isn't the safest person to be around."

Lorelei cocked her head to one side. Was he—"Fraley?" She asked quietly. "As in one of the Legendary Kantan Generals?"

Surge nodded, a wistful smile sliding across his face. "Those were the days, when we were young. The Surge Brigade, the Fraley Force, the Battling Blazers, and the Samuel Squad." Lorelei rolled her eyes. She had heard the stories dozens of times before. How Surge had once commanded a mercenary battalion, and had waged war on Neragosh. He had been given the honorary rank of General from Kanto for helping to drive out Engaran oppressors.

Surge turned around, a sly smile on his face. "Remember, Lorelei, stay as far away from Agatha as possible." One of his eyes closed, then opened again, almost too fast for Lorerlei to notice the man's wink. "Dismissed."

Lorelei got to her feet and saluted Surge, and walked out the door. She was relatively certain that he had tried to direct her to Agatha Fraley. Of course, he couldn't come right out and say it or he'd get in trouble. After all, Alto was at peace with Neragosh.

Agatha Fraley, eh? That meant a trip to the Indigo Plateau. Where had she put her passport? Retirement just might be interesting after all.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Lorelei screamed at the man standing across the counter from her. They had been having the same….heated argument for the past several minutes. "I am NOT going through Victory Road!"

The man tending the counter glared at her. "All trainers are required to battle through Victory Road in order to reach Indigo Plateau."

Lorelei bristled. "I'm not a trainer!" she hissed. "I'm just someone who happens to have Pokémon companions."

The attendant glared at her. "That sure sounds like a Pokémon Trainer to me. Listen, the only way I'm letting you by here is if you can prove that you can stand the heat. To do that, you need to go through Victory Road."

Lorelei's hands curled into fists. "Listen, little man, I may be the only one here who's only killed someone!" She smiled darkly. "I know over a hundred ways to kill you with one finger alone." Lorelei grinned. All she would need to do would be to pull a gun's trigger a hundred times. "Now let me through."

The little man glared at her. "No!" he insisted in his whiny, nasally little voice. "you're not getting to the Indigo Plateau without going through the Indigo Plateau. If you were going there for shopping or something, that'd be fine, but since you want to go see the Champion, we need to be sure that you're good enough."

Lorelei's eyes narrowed, and she felt her hands unconsciously dropping down into the pockets of her trench coat where she kept a pair of tiny derringers for emergencies. She forced her hands back up and onto the counter. She grabbed the little man by the shirt collar. She pulled him closer to her face, her eyes flashing. "Listen, I don't care if she's the Champion or the janitor. I am not going through some stupid gauntlet."

Lorelei glared at the sides of the cave. "I can't believe this happened," she muttered to herself. She glanced over her shoulder. Everything was dark, except for the small shimmering of light that came from the entrance. She pulled out a light from one pocket and attached it to her wrist.

"Weavile, take point. Gengar, Dusknoir, find the way out of here. Houndoom, light our way, torch anything that gets too close. Golem, scout ahead, Entrophen, cover my six," Lorelei growled. Weavile grinned up at Lorelei, waggling his paws, a dark light in his eyes. Her entire team could tell that she was in a bad mood, so they hopped to their tasks faster than normal.

Gengar and Dusknoir faded through the walls, searching for the exit, and Golem tucked himself into a ball and rolled forward, becoming the advance scout for the team. Houndoom's flames roared outwards, illuminating the pathway around her.

Lorelei took a step forward, glaring daggers at the darkness. How could they make her go through this? It was humiliating. She knew how to take care of herself. So what if she hadn't fought a single battle in Kanto? She had fought to defend her home, and then had taken the battle to the enemy.

How could something like that not net her enough experience to see the stupid Champion? Who cared if she was the most powerful in Kanto? Lorelei deserved better than to be treated like some wet behind the ears kid.

They'd just better hope that no trainers would get in her way. She knew that her anger would fuel her Pokémon to fight more fiercely than they normally would, and she would not stop them. She wouldn't stop them, either. It was their fault that this was happening.

Lorelei stalked forward, her trenchcoat billowing out around her in the icy wind that suddenly picked up. Her red hair snapped around her face like the mane of a medusa, and the fire in her eyes was almost visible. Pokémon ducked out of the path of her brigade, and cowered in whatever nooks and crannies they could find.

Her anger was palpable, and the fact that she had to remain in the infernal cave only fueled it further. The wind intensified, and frost began to appear on the caves of the wall.

Lorelei came around a corner, to see a Blastoise battling her Golem. "Stupid Pokémon!" the trainer said. "wandering off like that." Lorelei felt her rage boiling over. "Sorry about this, but I have to faint you!"

Lorelei made a gesture to Houndoom, and instantly the canine's light was darkened. "You'll do no such thing!" Lorelei said quietly, her voice low and threatening. "I'm afraid I can't allow it."

"Charizard, Flash!" the trainer exclaimed, and suddenly a gout of flame shot into the air. The trainer's eyes widened. Standing in front of her was a figure, its face hidden by shadows. Arrayed behind it was a team of three Pokémon—a Houndoom, a Weavile, and a Golem.

"Not bad," The trainer said, pushing her long, red hair over her shoulder. "So you've gotten this far. Let's see how good you really are!" The trainer swallowed. Whoever this was was certainly putting on a good show. But she had been around long enough to know that that wasn't necessarily the same thing as strength.

"They keep saying that," the opposing trainer said quietly. "I get quite tired of it. Weavile, take care of them. All of them." The Weavile standing beside the unknown person grinned, a dark light glimmering in its eyes as it advanced, claws slowly extending.

"Do you really think that that little thing is going to be a challenge for me?" the trainer demanded. "You do realize that I have a type advantage right?"

"I grow tired of this, Weavile. We'll be moving on. Don't take too long." The figure started walking, but the Kantan Trainer jumped in front of her.

"Just where do you think that you're going?" the Pokémon Leaguer demanded. "Charizard!" There was a moment's pause, and the Leaguer frowned. "Charizard! Blastoise?" The Leaguer turned to look at her Pokémon, and her face paled. The Weavile was standing up from the Blastoise, the bright yellow liquid dripping from its claws betraying the fact that the blood was from the Water-type. And just beyond the Blastoise, Charizard lay, purple blood leaking out, its wings frozen in place by a thick layer of ice.

"You better tend to your Pokémon," the stranger said quietly. "And radio ahead to the other Trainers that they should stay out of my way."

The Leaguer took one last look at the stranger, then ran to the side of her Pokémon, digging in her belt pouch for Hyper Potions. She looked up as a strange, purple Pokémon stalked past, regarding her darkly. The Leaguer shivered as the bitter wind further intensified. Just who was this person that was going through Victory Road?

Just what was her purpose here?


End file.
